Apparatus for aging alkali cellulose



Aug. 28, 1962 E. BARBozA APPARATUS FOR AGING ALKALI cELLULosE Filed May 11, 1959 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 lla Aug. 28, 1962 E. BARBozA 35351560 APPARATUS FOR AGING ALKALI GELLULOSE Filed May l1, 1959 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 P .Q 4270 Y Ew l Aug. 28, V1962 E. BARBOZA 3,051,560

APPARATUS FOR AGING ALKALI CELLULOSE Filed May ll, 1959 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 l mvEN-r'on EL ZAR/o v. 6A @502A BY MUQSM ATTORNEYS A-ug. 28, 1962 E, BARBOZA 3,051,560

APPARATUS FOR AGING ALKALI CELLULOSE INVENTOR f2 ZEAR/O BARHO ZA ATTORNEYS v process.

Unit-ed states Patent o" 0511560 APPARATUS EUR AGDIG ALKALI CELLULQSE Elzeario Barboza, Brussels, Belgium, assigner, by mesne assignments, to Robert P. King, New York, NX.

Filed May 11, 1959, Ser. No. $12,502. 8 Claims. {(Jl. 23-284) This invention relates to apparatus for, the production of viscose and particularly to improvements in apparatus for the continuous aging of alkali cellulose.

While viscose manufacture today largely involves treatment of material in batch, there has been some progress made in the last few years in the development oi apparatus which has the capacity to handle viscose producing material in continuously delivered quantities. For example, vthere are in present use continuous aging towers to w ich quantities of alkali cellulose in crumb form are introduced and allowed to settle by gravity to their bottom where rotating rollers pass the material out to conveying belts or containers in preparation Jfor the next step in the It is most important, of course, that the cellulosic material be uniformly aged throughout its mass and the continuous aging tower as disclosed, for example, in Patent No. 2,490,097 affords an assurance that any discrepancy in the aging time or temperature of the crumb will not exceed tolerable lirm'ts. DueV to the possibility of human error such assurance is not available to the batch process user who employs individual containers to age the material in discrete and relatively small quantities.

This invention contemplates an improved, continuous aging tower which guarantees meeting the required standards of aging time uniformity as do present towers and further enhances the capacity of the continuous aging tower to ripen the material uniformly. To this end the instant tower is provided with a translating distributor mechanism at its top end, which serves to deposit the crumb in the :tower substantially in successive horizontal layers, which insures that the distance of descent is approximately the same for all the crumb. Additionally, the discharge rollers -at the bottom of the tower are disposed and designed in such a manner that all of the material is discharged as a consequence of the positive feed or metering action of the rollers and virtually none of the material is permitted to drop solely by gravity through and out of the tower between its sides and the rollers or between the upwardly moving surfaces of adjacent rollers. ri'hus, .the tower has an improved capability for maintaining uniformity in the height of the material across its mass and for controlling its velocity of descent through the aging zone and, as a consequence, the tower is enabled to deliver ripened alkali cellulose whose 4aging time has been strictly supervised.

One object of the invention is to provide an improved alkali cellulose aging tower which causes the material to be delivered continuously and uniformly to its aging zone and be discharged therefrom at a positively controlled velocity.

Another object of the invention is to provide an alkali cellulose laging, tower which provides for continuous treatment of the material which is delivered to it and assures its uniform aging.

Other `objects and advantages of the invention may be appreciated on reading the following detailed description of its preferred embodiments which is taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which FIG. 1 shows a broken elevation of the alkali cellulose aging tower, some parts being shown in section,

FIG. 2 is a sectional plan taken on the line 2 2 of FIG. l,

FIG. 3 is a sectional plan taken on the line 3 3 of FIG. l,

3,051,560 Patented Aug. 28, 1952 FlG. 4 is a broken vertical section taken on the line ffl- 4 of FIG. 3 showing the carriage in extreme right hand position,

FIG. 5 is a section in plan taken on the line 5 5 of FlG. 1,

FlG. 6 is ya broken section on enlarged scale showing a modified distributor mechanism,

FlG. 7 is a section taken on the line 7 7 of FIG. 6, and

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary section taken on the line 8 8 of FIG, 7.

Referring to the ydrawings there is disposed at the top of the alkali cellulose aging tower 10 a conveyor belt il which is adapted to receive the alkali cellulose as indicated by the arrow lla in FIG. 1 from a continuous or intermittent alkali cellulose supply, the material being carried at a steady rate by the belt. The conveyor belt is of the endless type being carried by end rollers 12 and i3, the end roller 12 being disposed over a distributor 14. The conveyor belt l1 and distributor i4 are supported by means of a carriage le which causes the two components to travel from lone end wall to the other end wall of the tower during operation. An electrical drive unit 18 actuates the conveyor belt 11, the distributor 14 and the carriage 16 as follows: A sprocket wheel 20 of the drive unit is connected through a chain to lsprocket 2.2 which is mounted on a shaft 24. A second ysprocket 26 on the shaft 24 is connected by a chain to sprocket 28 which is mounted on an axial shaft 29 of the end roller l2 which drives the conveyor belt l1. Intermediate rollers 30, Sila, Sub, 36C and 36d support the conveyor belt between the two end rollers. The belt l1 is thus enabled to pass the alkali cellulose on to the distributor 14. As shown in Pif'. 2 the distributor may take .the form of screw or spiral conveyors 32 and 3d, the spirals of which on each side of the belt are oppositely pitched so that the crumb may be led away from the delivery end of the belt 1l. The shaft 24 also carries sprockets 37 and 3S which are chained to distributor sprockets 39 and 40, respectively, which serve to turn the two distributor screws. The screws turn in a casing 4l which underneath the distributor has openings i2 which progressively increase in size toward the outer end of the screw conveyors in order to insure equal distribution of the alkali cellulose across the total surface of the tower.

ln `FlG. 6 there is shown a different form of distributor made in accordance with the invention. This distributor takes the form of a pair of endless belts 43 and 44., which are supported for rotation in the casing 41. rilhere is dependent from the roof of the casing 41 oblique deflectors 45 which extend progressively farther over the surface of the `belts according to'their distance from the delivery belt il. In this instance beveled gears 46 and 45a are mounted respectively on the ends of the shaft 24 and are disposed in driving engagement with beveled gear wheels 47 and 7a respectively which are fixed integrally to the shafts of the driving drums of the two conveyor belts, theupper surfaces of which are caused -to travel in opposite directions away from the belt 1l as indicated by the arrows. lt is thus apparent that as the two belts are driven, the conveyed material successively impinges on the deflectors and is moved obliquely over the edge ot' .the belts and through opening 42a into the tower thus securing an even distribution along the length of the belts.

The alkali cellulose must also be 4distributed evenly from one end wall of the tower to the other. To this end the carriage carrying the conveyor belt 11 and distributor ltand their driving connections is caused to move back and forth on its four wheels 48 by theV drive unit l18. The driving connections between the unit and the carriage may be described as follows: A sprocket 50 on the drive unit is in chain connection with a sprocket 52 which is mounted on a shaft 53. On each end of the shaft 53 are mounted sprocketwh'eels in chain connection with I sprocket wheels 56 which Vare in turn mounted on shaft ried the shaft 57 Yand are connected toV freely rotatabie sprockets l6i) and 6l, respectively, by means ofseparate chains 63V and 64. A cross-bar 65 is axed to the chains 'l and Vthe 'Vends of the cross-bar extend, through'apertures in'vertical slides 66 andV 67 Vwhich 'are ,carriedrin guides Y roller surfaces. The guards present arcuate surfacesto Y thescraping blades-of the-rollers.

Y 57; A pair of sprocket wheels 53 and 59 are also Vc'ar- I .ot oniy servesV to enhancegrthe continuity 'of thesteps'im- `VVmediately before andgaftjerj agingbutsigniiicantly im- 68 and169,Y respectively, and throughVverticallyfdisposed Y Islots inV the'guidesY 68and 69. TheY guides are fixed to the casing ofthe tower so that they are prevented from horizontal movement relative to the tower.V The'siides are vertically adjustable in the guides' and are selectively adapted to be controlled by the cross-bar vinreither its upper or lower position of chain travel. The driven sprocket wheelsSS and 59 and the freely rotatable sprockets ed and 61 arecaused to move toward the right relative to theiixed guides 68 and 69 whenthe chains 63 and 64 are driven inthe direction indicated by the mrows in FIG. l and .therv cross-'bar 65 is in its upper chain position.

Y When thedriven sprockets 5S and 59 reach'the fixed f guides, the slidesY are moved to the lower position in the guides by the cross-bar so Ithat the carriage'is driven to e When the freely rotatable sprockets 6b and SiV the left. reach the guides,`the slides are moved to their upper position in the fixed yguides and the direction of movement of the carriage relative to the tower isr reversed and re-V turned to the positionin FIG.r 5. Consequently the incoming alkali cellulose,'suppiied at the top of the tower,

` is distributed uniformly with respect .to timeV over the entire interior horizontal cross-section of the tower. This feature, togetherrwith the uniform alkali cellulose, discharge mechanism describedV beloW,r.assures ,a uniform time of travel down through the tower offeach individual element of alkali'cellulose crumb. .Y n e j Y AtV the base of the towerl there is provided a plurality of rollers 70, adjacent rollers being caused to turn in opposite directions and in opposite phase,'theV drive therefor being described yin co-pending applicationSer. No. 812,3 66, filed May 11,1959. Preferably, the rollers areprovided with cleats or'blades which are axially andrcircur'nferentially distributed about the surface thereof. Additionally, Ythe rollers 70 Aare suiiiciently long that they extend beyond the two sides 71 and '72of the casing ofthe tower and the bottom of the casing is provided with arcuate recesses 71a and 72a formed -at uniformlyspaced intervals proximate the V'rollers in the bottom edges of the sides 71 and 72 Yforming complementary pr'oles with the rollerrsm'- faces. By thus extending the' rollers beyond the tow r on two sides and by snugly disposing the rollers within the Yrecesses Ythe escape of material between the rollers andV the sidesl'is prevented. The two sides 7l and 72 of the casing are joined by end walls 74 and 75, the casing being rectangular in cross-section. Inside cornersofrthe tower are rounded Voff as by fillets 80 to prevent compacted deposit from forming'in the corners of the tower. Directly the sides of the end walls 74 and 75 or between the rollers 76 and 77 and the sides 71 and 72 at their juncture with Ythe'end walls. The uniform discharge of the evenly distributedmaterial from the tower is thus assured because tower unless itis positively action of a roller. Y Y

Preferably, guards 78 are disposed under earch pair of rollers being disposed under the adjacent surfaces there-Y of which are ascending so that material is prevented from falling of its own weight between adjacent, ascending metered through under the yclaims.

provesV the consistency Vof/the'aged product; Las a consequence theL succeeding step, namely xanthation, is also better adapted to be performed with improved consistency of result. Y n

Various m'odiiicationsV of the invention may `be'eifected 'by persons skilledY inY the art without departing 'from the scope and principle of invention as defined inthe appended Whatisclaimedis: j Y l. AnY alkali cellulose agingfapparatus Vcomprising a Yvertical tower open `at the upper end thereof and defining an Vaging chamber, a pair offspaced parallel elongated guide rails secured across theupper end of said tower and extending out beyond one end thereof, a carriage mounted on said rails for reciprocal back and forth movement over Ythe. open upper end Yof said tower, a iongitudinally extending endless conveyor belt mountedon said carriage, a transversely disposed distributormeans mounted on said carriageadjacent the discharge end of said conveyor and extending substantially the entire width of said carriage, a non-reversible drive unit. mounted on said carriage in fixed position thereon, operative connections be- Y tween said drive-unit and said endless conveyor and said distributor means through whichsaid endless conveyor and said distributor means are constantly driven in the Vsame direction by said non-reversible drive unit during and which is operative to periodically reverse *theY direc-V Vtion of movement ofnsaid carriage, said distributor means being operative to receive material discharged from said Y' conveyor and for continuously and progressively discharging said material into said chamber in a direction normal to the Vmovement of said carriage to thereby effect an even distribution of said material transversely of saidV Y chamber as said carriage isV reciprocated back and forth,

VYand means located inthe lower end of said tower by mounted on said carriageV adjacent the discharge Vend of Yno `material is allowed to passfrom the bottom of the f said conveyor and extending substantially theY entire width of said carriage, a non-reversible Vdrive unitmounted on said carriageL in iixed position thereon, operative connections between said drive unit andsaid endless conveyor and said distributor means through which said yendless conveyor and said Vdistributor,means are constantly driven in the same direction bv-saidnon-reversible drive unit during operation, and interconnecting means between said carriage and said non-reversiblerdrive unit through which saidcarriage -is driven by said non-reversible drive unit to said chain means andis'operative toV periodically reverse the direction of movement of said carriageysaid distributor eans ibeing operative to receive material discharged from said conveyor and for continuously and progressively discharging said material into said chamber in a direction normal to the movement of said carriage to thereby effect an even distribution of said material transversely of said chamber as said carriage is reciprocated back and forth, and means located in the lower end of said tower by which said material is discharged therefrom at a positively -controlled velocity.

3. An alkali cellulose aging apparatus comprising a vertical tower open at the upper end thereof and defining an aging chamber, a pair of spaced parallel elongated guide rails secured across the upper end of said tower and extending out beyond `one end thereof, a 'carriage mounted on said rails for reciprocal back and forth movement over the open upper end of said tower, a longitudinally extending endless conveyor belt mounted on said carriage, a transversely disposed distributor means mounted on said carriage adjacent the discharge end of said conveyor and extending substantially the entire width of said carriage, a non-reversible drive unit mounted on said carriage in fixed position thereon, operative .connections between said drive unit and said endless conveyor and said distributor means through which said endless conveyor and said distributor means are constantly driven in the same direction 'by said non-reversible drive unit during operation, and interconnecting means between said carriage and said non-reversible drive unit through which said carriage is driven by said non-reversible drive unit and which is operative to periodically reverse the direction of movement of said carriage, said interconnecting means comprising; chain means which is mounted on said carriage and is adapted to be constantly driven in the same direction Iby said non-reversible drive um't during operation, means mounted in xed position on said tower, and interconnecting means between said chain means and said fixed position means by which the direction of movement of said carriage is periodically reversed; said distributor means being operative to receive material discharged from said conveyor and for continuously and progressively discharging said material into said chamber in a direction normal to the movement of said carriage to thereby edect an even distribution of said material transversely of said chamber as said carriage is reciprocated back and forth, and means located in the lower end of said tower by which said material is discharged therefrom at a positively controlled velocity.

4. An alkali cellulose aging apparatus comprising a vertical tower open at the upper end thereof and defining an aging chamber, `a pair of spaced parallel elongated guide rails secured across the upper end of said tower and extending out beyond one end thereof, a carriage mounted on said rails for reciprocal back and forth movement over the open upper end of said tower, a longitudinally extending endless conveyor -belt mounted on said carriage, a transversely disposed distributor means mounted on said carriage adjacent the discharge end of said conveyor and extending substantially the entire width of said carriage, a non-reversible drive unit mounted on said carriage in fixed position thereon, operative connections between said drive unit and said endless conveyor and said distributor means through which said endless conveyor and said distributor means are constantly driven in the same direction by said non-reversible drive unit during operation, and interconnecting means between said carriage and said non-reversible drive unit through which said carriage is driven by said non-rel( versible drive unit and which is operative to periodically reverse the direction of movement of said carriage, said interconnecting means comprising: a pair of spaced sirnilar longitudinally disposed endless driving chains which are mounted on said carriage and are adapted to be constantly driven in one direction during operation by said non-reversible drive unit, a pair of vertically disposed guides secured in iixed position on said tower and extending upwardly between said pair of driving chains, each of said guides having a vertically disposed slot therein, a transversely extending cross bar secured to said pair of driving chains for movement therewith with the outer ends thereof disposed in said slots, operative connections between said pair of driving chains and said non-reversible drive unit through which said chains are constantly driven in the same direction during operation by said non-reversible drive unit whereby said carriage is driven in one direction when said cross bar is disposed in the upper ilight of said driving chains and in the opposite direction when said cross bar is disposed in the lower flight of said driving chains, said distributor means being operative to receive material discharged from said conveyor and for continuously and progressively discharging said material into said chamber in a direction normal to the movement of said carriage to thereby effect an even distribution of said material transversely of said chamber as said carriage is reciprocated back and forth, and means located in the lower end of said tower bywhich said material is discharged therefrom at a positively controlled velocity.

5. An alkali cellulose aging apparatus as defined by claim 1 in which said distributor means comprises a pair of spiral screws.

6. An alkali cellulose aging apparatus as defined by claim 5 in which said pair of spiral screws are disposed in a casing having a pair of oppositely extending transverse material delivery slots which progressively increase in width outwardly from said conveyor.

7. An alkali cellulose aging apparatus as defined by claim 1 in which said distributor means comprises a pair of aligned transversely extending oppositely driven delivery belts which are disposed within a casing having a pair of oppositely extending material delivery slots which progressively increase in width outwardly from said conveyor.

8. An alkali cellulose aging apparatus as defined by claim 7 in which said casing is provided with a plurality of fixed stationary obliquely disposed dellectors which are disposed over said delivery belts in close proximity to the upper surfaces thereof and which progressively increase in length in accordance with the distance thereof outwardly from said conveyor. 'i

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,798,715 Aldrich Mar. 3l, 1931 2,277,416 Rutten Mar. 24, 1942 2,477,970 Downing et al. Aug. 2, 1949 2,490,097 Seaman Dec. 6, 1949 2,709,530 Haley etal May 31, 1955 2,739,800 Sisco Mar. 27, 1956 (2,830,693 Schlossmacher Apr. l5, 1958 

1. AN ALKALI CELLULOSE AGING APPARATUS COMPRISING A VERTICAL TOWER OPEN AT THE UPPER END THEREOF AND DEFINING AN AGING CHAMBER, A PAIR OF SPACED PARALLEL ELONGATED GUIDE RAILS SECURED ACROSS THE UPPER END OF SAID TOWER AND EXTENDING OUT BEYOND ONE END THEREOF, A CARRIAGE MOUNTED ON SAID RAILS FOR RECIPROCAL BACK AND FORTH MOVEMENT OVER THE OPEN UPPER END OF SAID TOWER, A LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING ENDLESS CONVEYOR BELT MOUNTED ON SAID CARRIAGE, A TRANSVERSELY DISPOSED DISTRIBUTOR MEANS MOUNTED ON SAID CARRIAGE ADJACENT THE DISCHARGE END OF SAID CONVEYOR AND EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY THE ENTIRE WIDTH OF SAID CARRIAGE, A NON-REVERSIBLE DRIVE UNIT MOUNTED ON SAID CARRIAGE IN FIXED POSITION THEREON, OPERATIVE CONNECTIONS BETWEEN SAID DRIVE UNIT AND SAID ENDLESS CONVEYOR AND SAID DISTRIBUTOR MEANS THROUGH WHICH SAID ENDLESS CONVEYOR AND SAID DISTRIBUTOR MEANS ARE CONSTANTLY DRIVEN IN THE SAME DIRECTION BY SAID NON-REVERSIBLE DRIVE UNIT DURING OPERATION, AND INTERCONNECTING MEANS BETWEEN SAID CAR- 